Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-StandardSyracuse firefighters responded to a water main break in a parking garage at the corner of West Washington and South West streets this morning. Syracuse water, fire and engineering departments worked quickly to begin draining the foot of water that had flooded the garage.Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-StandardWater is pumped out of the Washington Street parking garage this morning at a top rate of 1,300 gallons a minute.Syracuse, NY -- A water main break on South West Street just south of West Water Street sent thousands of gallons of water cascading into the sub-basement of a city-owned parking garage this morning.

As of 11:20 a.m., a team of firefighters was using two portable pumps to suck muddy water at a 1,300-gallon-a-minute clip out of the B2 West wing sub-basement of the Washington Street Garage.

The water reached a maximum depth of about a foot, a firefighter on the scene said.

Lee Davis, the garage manager, said he did not think any of the estimated 40 vehicles parked in the sub-basement received damage. He credited quick work by the city fire, water and engineering departments for stemming and reversing the water flow and minimizing damage.

Garage employees are contacting the vehicle owners to help them move the vehicles to levels out of the water, Davis said.

The main apparently broke about 8:45 a.m., said Thomas Ingram, a security guard at the garage. A customer reported seeing water seeping into the sub-basement. Soon, water was rushing down the bank from from South West Street into the garage, Ingram said.

"Boy, did it move fast," Ingram said.

"It'll be a mess to clean up," Davis said.

Syracuse Water Commissioner Mike Ryan said officials are not sure what caused the 10-inch main to break, but said this is the time of year when frost moves the ground and causes pipes to rupture.

One customer remains without water this afternoon and is being supplied from a temporary source, Ryan said.

Officials may close one lane of South West Street as workers repair the main, he said. The repair should be complete by Tuesday afternoon, he said.